Salvation
by Ayla Pascal
Summary: When Sam disappears in Volia while trying to stop the alliance with the Aschen, Senator Kinsey takes this opportunity to take complete control of the negotiations. The Aschen are now poised to take over the galaxy. AU.
1. Chapter 1

-

Prologue

-

Sam watched as Joseph leaned out over the railing.

"Go! Sam, go! I'll be fine," he yelled.

She stared down at the open wormhole beneath her, at the rippling blue waves, and bit her lip. Taking out her knife, she was about to cut the rope holding her when with a sudden sound, the wormhole disappeared.

This can't be good, Sam thought.

Borren appeared overhead, holding what seemed to be a gun to Joseph's head.

"Climb up your rope, or I will shoot," he said in a monotone.

As Sam began her slow climb up the rope, she wondered whether the Aschen ever expressed any emotions whatsoever. It seemed that even performing death threats, they were emotionless. As she climbed back up over the railing, she noticed Joseph's pleading eyes.

"Sorry," he mouthed. She gave him a faint smile.

"I thought you were going to just send the bomb through to Earth and kill us all," Sam said.

Borren tilted his head slightly. "There has been a change in plans."

--

"She can't have disappeared!" Jack shouted at Senator Kinsey. He couldn't believe his ears.

Kinsey smoothed down his elegant jacket. "I'm afraid that is what Ambassador Mollem has told us. She would be facing court martial if she returned anyway. According to the ambassador, she and Faxton had an altercation with several influential Aschen individuals. The ambassador informed me that she accused him of genocide."

"They killed off the entire Volian population within two hundred years!" Daniel exclaimed. "You can't think that this is merely a coincidence."

Kinsey smiled thinly. "I'm afraid that is no longer your concern. Due to this latest incident, the President has placed me in charge of the entire negotiation process. He wants a treaty to be signed within two months." He turned to General Hammond. "This means I am now officially in charge of Stargate Command."

Jack stared at Hammond but the older man said nothing. "You are making the biggest mistake of your life," he warned.

"I'm ensuring the salvation of the American way of life from the Goa'uld," Kinsey said. "There is no higher goal."

Without another word, Jack walked off.


	2. Chapter 2

--

Chapter 1

--

"How long do you think they're going to keep us here?" Joseph asked.

Sam shrugged and looked around the room for what seemed to be the hundredth time. It was exactly the same as the last time she'd looked. Blank, dark grey walls, and no door to speak of. She couldn't help a smidgen of grudging admiration for the design of their holding cell. Much better than Goa'uld holding cells, which were more for decoration than anything else. She wasn't sure how they could breathe, but she supposed that the walls were permeable.

When they had been escorted to the cell, the door had materialised in the grey wall and then closed behind them as they entered. Sam stared at the spot to her left. She knew the wall was there, but no amount of pounding with her fists made it open. She wished that she had somehow managed to hide some C4 on herself, but the Aschen search had been thorough.

"Probably until they decide what to do with us," she said.

Joseph looked worried.

"They probably won't kill us," she said. "After all, they didn't kill the Volians."

"No, they just wiped them out slowly through systematic sterilisation." Joseph's voice was tight. Once in the holding cell, Sam had filled him on everything they had discovered about the Aschen and Joseph had been understandably horrified.

"General Hammond will send more SG teams through the gate once we don't return," Sam said, trying to sound upbeat. "We don't leave our folks behind."

Joseph pursed his lips. "You don't know Senator Kinsey as well as I do. He's determined to make this alliance work."

Sam stared down at her hands and shifted her legs to a slightly more comfortable position. "It's not that easy to get rid of General Hammond." Nor is it that easy to get rid of Jack O'Neill, she added silently.

They lapsed into a tired silence.

Joseph jumped as there was a sudden sound. The door to Sam's left suddenly materialised and an Aschen guard stepped through. He was dressed in as uniform a grey as the rest of the Aschen delegation with the exception of a large gun in his hands.

"Come with me," he said crisply.

Sam stood up and then helped Joseph up. She watched as he winced slightly. "Those floors are hard," he said.

She nodded.

They followed the guard back towards the chamber they were in originally for the negotiations. Ambassador Mollem was standing by the table holding the laptop Sam had given him earlier.

"Your co-ordinates are useless," he said evenly and placed the laptop on the table.

Sam blinked. She had no idea what he was talking about. "They were given as a gesture of good faith. Obviously all good faith is out of the window." She silently berated herself for what she said. It sounded like she was claiming that co-ordinates changed according to the circumstances.

Mollem's expression didn't change, but she distinctly got the impression that he wasn't amused. "Obviously certain members of your military did not want this alliance to proceed. The first co-ordinate was to a planet that was in the process of being pulled into a black hole."

"I had no knowledge of this," Sam said honestly.

"This is inconsequential," Mollem said. "We easily disengaged the Volian Stargate from the black hole."

"If you believe that this was done deliberately, then there is obviously no point in a further alliance with Earth," Joseph said.

Sam hid a wry smile. It was good of him to try, but she doubted the Aschen would fall for that.

"On the contrary," Mollem said with a thin smile. "We believe that your government did not know this. We will continue our negotiations with your Senator Kinsey."

Sam couldn't help but feel that Earth was doomed. She could already see the images of a beautiful agricultural Earth, devoid of all but a handful of humans.

"What do you plan to do with us?" she asked.

"You, Samantha Carter, will give us co-ordinates to habitable worlds. It's time the galaxy met the Aschen Federation."

As Sam looked at the expressionless Mollem, she felt a shiver go down her spine. Suddenly, she began to feel sorry for the Goa'uld.


	3. Chapter 3

--

Chapter 2

--

Jack knew that this day was inevitable ever since he had joined the military. He had never been that good at taking orders.

Colonel Jack O'Neill was facing court martial.

"I'm sorry," General Hammond had told him, looking sincerely apologetic. "But you're not under the influence of any alien substances, viruses, mind-control devices or anything. I had Doctor Fraser check you out twice."

"Well, I know that," Jack said with a roll of his eyes.

Hammond looked grave. "I'm afraid, I cannot prevent a court martial in these circumstances. You tried to access the gate without orders. You tried to dial the co-ordinates I specifically ordered to be locked out of the system."

"I was trying to prove that it was the Aschen homeworld!" Jack burst out.

"You then tried to reach the Volian homeworld carrying an arsenal of machine guns on you."

"I was trying to get Carter back. If half of the armoury had to come with me to do that, then so be it." Jack shrugged.

"You specifically disobeyed my orders." Hammond shook his head. "I can't get you out of this."

Jack gave a wry smile. "I bet Kinsey is looking forward to it."

"Senator Kinsey is currently preparing to travel to the Volian homeworld to discuss the alliance."

"He's a pompous bastard and he's playing dice with the lives of everybody on this planet," Jack said angrily. "And I hope you tell him I said that."

--

Daniel stared at the piece of paper in his hand. "I'm being transferred," he said blankly. "Out of the SGC."

"For what reason?" asked Teal'c.

"It says that I have no business being on a front line team since I'm merely an archaeologist." Daniel slammed the paper down on the table in front of him, making several of his artefacts rattle. He suddenly noticed that Teal'c was also carrying a slip of paper of his own.

Teal'c inclined his head. "I have been informed of a desire that I should return to my homeworld."

Daniel blinked. "Why?"

"It does not say."

There was an awkward silence. Daniel stared down at his piece of paper. He had never had that much of a rapport with Teal'c.

"I wish Jack didn't lock us up in our rooms before trying to rescue Sam," Daniel said.

"If he hadn't, then it in all likelihood, we would also be in cells awaiting sentencing," Teal'c pointed out.

"But I'm a civilian and you're… well you're an alien."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow.

Daniel had to admit that he had a point. It was likely that Kinsey would have found some way to prosecute them. Especially since the Stargate seemed to be well on its way of becoming public knowledge. The president was already planning a speech about it on the day the alliance with the Aschen was made formal.

"Still," Daniel said quietly. "We should have helped. We should help."

--

"I'll never give you co-ordinates to anything," Sam snapped. She was beginning to lose her patience. For the past eight hours, she had been sitting at a conference table, under bright lights, with no food, water or rest. To make matters worse, the Aschen weren't doing something as simple – and probably they'd consider it primitive, she thought sourly – as torture.

She could easily stand torture. God knows that Goa'uld did it to SG-1 enough times. Mental, or physical torture was easy to withstand if you had strength of character.

However, right now, Sam was simply becoming more and more pissed off.

For eight hours, Borren had simply sat there and asked the same question over and over again.

She watched as he opened his mouth again.

"Please provide us with a gate address to a habitable world."

"No," she said shortly. "You can torture me, but I won't give you anything."

Borren sighed, the first sign in the entire eight hours that he was finding this even the slightest bit tedious. "Such means are beneath the Aschen Federation. We do not employ such tactics except in the most dire of situations."

"No, but obviously you have nothing against the systematic eradication of an entire civilisation."

"That was necessary. We have no need to explain our actions to you." Borren sat back and folded his hands neatly in his lap. "You have told us of your enemy the Goa'uld. We can take care of them for you."

"I'm sure you can." Sam had a sudden thought. "If you are so set on an alliance with Earth, then why do you need co-ordinates from me at all?"

She wasn't sure, but Sam thought that she could detect a subtle stiffening of Borren's body. "That does not concern you."

--

No matter what anybody else said, Senator Kinsey knew that he was no fool.

He gave a slight smile. "I'm afraid we cannot provide you with any more gate co-ordinates. That was a gesture of good faith on our behalf."

It was unspoken, but it was apparent that Ambassador Mollem understood him perfectly.

Mollem inclined his head slightly. "We will see about a gesture of good faith of our own."


	4. Chapter 4

--

Chapter 3

--

Chulak always seemed quiet when you first entered it, Daniel Jackson decided as he stared around. He had managed to procure a pass to Chulak. How exactly he managed this, Daniel still wasn't sure. In fact, he suspected that it may as well be a one way trip for him. Still, he knew he wanted a way to rescue Sam, and he was beginning to suspect that that mission was impossible from earth.

"Come," Teal'c said and walked away from the Stargate.

They walked along the roughly outlined path that wound through the grass for about ten minutes before a figure ran onto the path in front of them. It was Bra'tac. "Stop!"

Teal'c froze. Daniel, who was right behind him, stopped just short of bumping into the Jaffa. "Bra'tac," he exclaimed. "It's good to see you."

"Shhh," Bra'tac said. "Come with me. It is unsafe here."

Daniel furrowed his brow. He was confused. He would have thought Chulak would be relatively safe now that Apophis was dead. Unless, he thought with a wry smile, that the Goa'uld wasn't truly dead. Like last time. With a sigh, Daniel followed Teal'c and Bra'tac into the bushes.

-

Kinsey stared at the vial in front of him, trying his best not to show his awe at what the Aschen were offering. "This seems interesting," he said. He could have sworn that Ambassador Mollem smirked at him.

"This anti-aging vaccine is just the beginning of what the Aschen Confederation can offer the people of Earth," Mollem said smoothly.

"Of course, we would need a sample of this to take back to the SGC in order to do tests on it," Kinsey said.

"That is not possible," Mollem said. "We will distribute the vaccine among your people, but we will retain control of the distribution process, and the vaccine, for the entire time."

Kinsey couldn't help but feel like he could smell a rat. It didn't seem right. "I'm afraid we could not accept those terms."

Mollem stared at him. "You would reject a drug that could double the life span of every single person on your planet? We will be willing to start preliminary distribution among your people for full access to your list of gate co-ordinates."

Kinsey hadn't been a politician for over twenty years for nothing. He knew when there was something his opposition wasn't telling him. "I will have to talk to the president about this."

-

Daniel stared around at the cramped cave that Bra'tac had designated as safe for the time being and shifted slightly on the hard rock he was sitting on. "Now can you tell us what the problem is?" he asked.

"There are rumours of a new and powerful Goa'uld on the rise," Bra'tac said quietly. "It's not safe to be near other Jaffa. Now, what are you doing here?"

Daniel stared at Teal'c who looked back with an expressionless face. "It's a long story."

--

"Samantha Carter," Mollem said in a mildly exasperated tone. "What am I going to do with you?"

Sam simply stared mutinously up at him from where she was seated at the corner of the cell. She felt Joseph put a hand on her shoulder, a mild comfort, and she gave him a small smile. "Well I can't imagine I have much say in the matter." Privately she thought that the Aschen would lose all interest in her once the alliance with earth was finalised. Right now, she thought, she was probably a 'just in case' card.

Mollem simply gave a brief nod. The door disappeared again and they were left alone in the cell once more.

--

Author Notes: Thank you to everybody who reviewed. I appreciate each and every comment. Of course, I love reviews, so more are always appreciated. As are comments on what you think of the Aschen, on what you think will happen, chapter length… on whatever. :)


	5. Chapter 5

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Chapter 4

--

"Mr President," Senator Kinsey said earnestly. "I believe we should accept the offer of the Aschen."

The President stared at him. "There is still the unanswered question of what happened to Samantha Carter and the Ambassador."

Kinsey leant forward and injected as much sympathy in his voice as possible. "Both Carter and the Ambassador went ahead, against direct orders in Carter's instance, and accused the most potentially valuable ally we have encountered since the Stargate Program's inception. I understand that they were trying to help the planet, but isn't it time that we realised that the Aschen are exactly who they say they are. They can help us defend ourselves against the Goa'uld."

"You were the one who recommended the Ambassador for his job," the President remarked. "But disregarding that, there are unanswered questions about the Aschen."

"I'm not saying I don't have doubts about the Aschen. Nobody relinquishes their technology without wanting something in return," Kinsey said. "But the Goa'uld are a very real and imminent threat. The Aschen can help us."

The President looked thoughtful and drummed his fingers on the table. "You say that they offered an anti-aging vaccine in exchange for Stargate co-ordinates?"

Kinsey nodded. "They wish to come to Earth themselves and distribute it among our population. That is their only request. They have also alluded to various other healing and transportation technologies they have at their disposal."

The President sighed. "The FDA is going to have a field day."

--

Bra'tac looked horrified. "If what you say is true, this is a terrible blow to the Jaffa Rebellion, if we can no longer count on the support of the Tau'ri."

"I don't believe you understand the extent of the problem," Daniel said tightly. "If the Aschen ally themselves with Earth, they will wipe out the Goa'uld." He looked at the expression on Bra'tac's face and could see that the older man didn't understand the ramifications. "In the power vacuum that results, the Aschen will take control of the entire galaxy."

"They will eliminate all possible opposition and then turn our galaxy into farming land," Teal'c said.

"We cannot let this happen!" Bra'tac exclaimed.

"How do we stop such a powerful enemy?" Teal'c asked.

"We need all the help we can get. First, we must contact the Tok'ra," Daniel said slowly. "I'm sure that Jacob would like to know what happened to Sam. The Aschen most likely have her prisoner."

Bra'tac's face showed a trace of distaste. "The Tok'ra have no desire to work alongside the Jaffa."

Daniel sighed. He knew all about the long-standing hatred between the Jaffa and the Tok'ra. "We will all have to work together. Otherwise we will all perish."

--

Joseph felt a strong desire to either close his eyes until all this disappeared and he was back in his house in Washington or to punch the Aschen person in the face. "For the last time," he said, very slowly, "I do not know any Stargate co-ordinates. I know basically nothing of the Stargate program. I'm an Ambassador not a scientist."

Mollem regarded him through expressionless eyes for a moment. "Tell me about Earth," he said suddenly.

Joseph blinked. "What about it?" he asked guardedly.

"I understand from Senator Kinsey that you come from a country called America. How many people inhabit your nation?"

"I'm not sure," Joseph said honestly. "Probably around a couple of hundred thousand. Maybe more?"

"How barbaric," Mollem sounded almost disgusted. "And you never instigated population control?"

"Some countries have. But most countries believe in free will. Our scientists believe the Earth's population will stabilise somewhere in the next hundred years on the twelve billion mark." Once he had said this, Joseph wondered whether it was the right thing to say.

The expression on Mollem's face was calculating. "That is unsustainable. It cannot be allowed to continue."

--

Author Notes: I'll love you if you review. ;) Thank you to everybody who reviewed the previous chapters. 3


	6. Chapter 6

--

Chapter 5

--

Colonel West, current commander of the Alpha Site, was surprised when Daniel, Teal'c and Bra'tac radioed in requesting access. He was almost positive they were supposed to all be in Chulak, as Senator Kinsey put it, "not jeopardising the Aschen-Human alliance."

"We're coming through," Daniel said.

West stared at his radio. The lieutenant currently sitting beside him looked up. "Open the iris," West said with a sigh. He wasn't going to allow good men to die needlessly, regardless of his orders not to let them through to the Alpha Site.

Moments later, Daniel stepped through the event horizon, closely followed by the Jaffa, both of which were carrying staff weapons.

--

Daniel looked around the Alpha Site. He was half expecting to end up as a squished almost-reintegrated mass on the iris of the Alpha Site gate. Almost like a bug on a windshield. "Thank you," he said to West who was next to several armed guards pointing weapons at them. "Ah, could you get them to put those away?"

West's face was expressionless. "Why are you here?"

"We need to contact the Tok'ra," Teal'c said.

"Why?"

As Daniel watched, both Teal'c and Bra'tac lifted up their staff weapons and pointed them at the guards and West. "We need to contact the Tok'ra," Bra'tac said gruffly.

Daniel stepped to one side, away from the possible staff blasts. "We need the subspace communicator that you have here," he explained. "Sam and the Ambassador are in trouble."

"Why are we to believe you?" West asked. "You are the ones holding weapons on us. For all we know, some Goa'uld on Chulak captured you and implanted a symbiote in Jackson and brainwashed you two."

"We don't have time for this," Teal'c said and in a lighting fast motion, pulled out a Zat and shot everybody except Daniel and Bra'tac.

Daniel didn't even have time to be surprised. "This is not the way I would have done it. We're going to be in so much trouble," he said quietly.

--

The wormhole opened and after a few seconds, Jacob stepped out. "You called?"

"Yes, we have a problem," Daniel explained and stood up from where he was examining an artefact that was at the Alpha Site. "Sam's been captured by the Aschen."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "This does not explain why we are at the Alpha Site and not at the SGC. Don't get me wrong, I'm worried that my daughter is at the hands of the Ashen, whoever they are, but shouldn't Hammond be mobilising forces already?"

"That," Daniel said slowly, "is not going to happen. Earth is entering an alliance with the Aschen."

"Hammond of Texas is no longer at the SGC," Bra'tac added.

"He's been relieved of his post," Daniel continued. "And Earth's in danger. The Jaffa are in danger. The Tok'ra are in danger. Even the Goa'uld are in danger."

The expression on Jacob's face would have been almost comical to watch if the situation hadn't been so serious. "I can see that you need to explain a lot to me," he said, looking around.

Daniel noticed that he saw the locked doors. "We… appropriated the Alpha Site. The banging you hear is the rest of the personnel trying to get back in. We might want to leave."

"Very well," Jacob said. "You will come with me to the new Tok'ra base. There you will inform me of this new threat."

--

"My fellow Americans. My fellow people of earth," the President began slowly. He never thought he would still be in office to see this day, but ever since the inception of the Stargate program, the President had been slowly adding to his speech of what he was going to tell the American public when it all came out of the bag. "What I am about to tell you may shock and amaze you..."

There was a knock on his door.

"Come in," the President said.

His secretary opened the door. "We're ready for you," she said.

The President took a deep breath and prepared himself to tell the senior members of the White House about the best kept secret in the American military.

--

"Shouldn't somebody have mounted a rescue by now?" Joseph asked.

Sam didn't reply. She was concerned about the same thing. The SGC supposedly never left a person behind. Even with the impending alliance with Earth, she thought that somebody would have tried something. Surely Jack would have tried to rescue them?

"Just wait," she said. "I'm sure somebody's planning something. I just wish I could find some way out of this cell."

"Hmm," Joseph said dryly. "It seems the Aschen don't have wall panels with bright neon lights saying This Way to Escape."

Sam gave a short laugh. "Well we have to keep on trying."

--

Author Notes: Any and all reviews are appreciated. I respond individually to reviews so if you are anonymous, then leave an email address. 3


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